These Wings of Mine
by MandyT
Summary: An AikaFina shoujo-ai story. The girls are out on a journey of their own know, one that could change Fina's life forever.
1. I’m Not Afraid to Fly, Just Wanna Touch

IMPORTANT NOTICE!!  
  
This fic will contain shoujo-ai, meaning girl/girl relationships. So yeah. You've been warned.  
  
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Chapter 1: I'm Not Afraid to Fly, Just Wanna Touch the Sky  
  
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"My feet hurt!" complained Aika loudly, "I've just about had it with fighting all these stupid monsters, and I'm tired and I'm thirsty and have had enough of marching through this desert wasteland when there is NOTHING HERE!"  
  
Vyse winced and turned around.  
  
"Really, Aika, would you try not to complain so much? I mean, c'mon, we have to be close! And think of all the gold and new kinds of treasures that we can find!" said Vyse. Currently the young Air Pirate captain was searching for a treasure of an old pirate that was supposed to be located on an island near Nasr.  
  
"But we've been hiking for that last three hours, and haven't found anything! And every time I ask you about it, you always say 'But we have to be close! Just a few more minutes!' At least that's what you've been doing for the last two hours!" Aika whined, "And what about you, mister famous treasure hunter, what have you got to say for yourself?" Aika suddenly turned on Domingo, who was scratching his head and looking at the map, obviously puzzled. Vyse had decided to bring Domingo along with them, and of course Fina was there too, as well as Marco, who had insisted on coming. The rest of the crew was back at the ship, no doubt partying.  
  
"Umm..." said Domingo as Aika spun on him, "Well, according to the map we SHOULD have found it already, but you know, maybe something went wrong... I dunno, this thing confuses me..." Domingo scratched his head again, thoroughly stumped.  
  
"YOU MEAN YOU TWO HAVE NO IDEA WHERE WE ARE???" shouted Aika. Both Domingo and Vyse huddled together under the mad redhead's wrath, looking at her like they were afraid her hair might burst into flames any moment now or something equally frightening.  
  
"We do too know where we are... we just... don't know where the treasure is!" said Domingo. Vyse sweatdropped.  
  
"Aika..." he said, trying to calm her down, "The ship will be here soon... I told the crew to come back in four hours to pick us up... so even if we don't find anything we won't be stranded out here for much longer..."  
  
Aika glared them down, while Marco laughed in the background.  
  
"She certainly looks like she's about to hurt you two REALLY bad!" said Marco, shaking with glee. He soon shut up as he too found himself face to face with Aika.  
  
"You just stay out of this, you little wrench!" said Aika, and then returned to her original prey.  
  
"Vyse, I've just about had it with your rushing into things without a plan! It takes a real idiot to run around willy-nilly in the desert looking for some treasure that might not even exist with a stupid map that is wrong, or maybe it's just that you two don't have enough brains between you to read it properly!" Aika yelled at them. Vyse and Domingo merely stared up at her, quivering. Out of all the things Vyse had faced in his days as a pirate, nothing came even close to being as scary as a mad Aika.   
  
"You two are really pitiful, you know that..." Aika began, but was soon cut off again by Marco.  
  
"Hey look! There's our ship!" All eyes turned upward, and sure enough, Vyse's crew was returning. A little early, but it seemed good for all of them. Vyse and Domingo breathed a sight of relief. The ship landed, and everyone boarded.  
  
"Returning empty handed, eh Cap'n?" said Don, who was at the helm, as all the explorers entered the control room, "Too bad, too bad. Maybe there isn't any treasure after all. Or maybe we had the wrong island or somethin'. Anyways, I figured 4 hours was way to long for all of you to stay out in the sun for, all that dehydration and stuff they tell you, so I decided to head back. Hope that's okay."  
  
"Yeah, it's okay... we weren't really finding anything anyways," said Vyse, and then got closer to Don and whispered, "THANK YOU! You saved Domingo 'n me from Aika... she was getting pretty mad at us..." Don nodded knowingly.  
  
"Anytime, Cap'n," he said.  
  
Aika, who had been very happy for a little while at the early return of the ship, now went back to what she had been doing as she entered the room.  
  
"That was the most annoying things that I have ever done in my life!" she said, voice escalating sharply as she talked. Vyse and Domingo went back to their huddle behind Don.  
  
"Wow now," said the helmsman, "I've got nothin' to do with this, so I'm backing down." Aika smirked at him as he backed away.  
  
"Now," she said, "I know that you two guys might got marching off into the desert and not think anything of it, but us girls have problems with it! Just look at my hair! It's a total mess, and I hate the feel of being a big greasy sweat-ball! And look at Fina! All that walking through the sand and the wind under that hot sun messed up her too. Now I know that guys probably don't even CARE if you go around smelling like a PIG, but us girls have some sense of hygiene!"  
  
Marco snickered in the background, muttering, "Yeah right!"  
  
"Did I tell you already to stay OUT of this?" asked Aika, not even looking at him, but keeping her glare firmly on Vyse and Domingo. Marco, wanting to keep it that way, quickly scuttled off to attend to his deck-swabbing duties.  
  
"Yes ma'am!"  
  
"Soo," said Aika, turning away from the two air pirates, "If you two don't mind, Fina and I are gonna go freshen ourselves up before dinner." Aika grabbed Fina as she marched out.  
  
"Oh!" said Fina, giving a glance back at the very frightened Vyse and Domingo, but then followed Aika.  
  
"Wait!" said Vyse before the girls left, "I've got an idea!" Aika turned around.  
  
"You've got an idea? This a first-time thing for you Vyse?" Aika asked.  
  
"Umm..." said Vyse, not exactly sure how to respond. He HAD come up with ideas in the past before, lots of them. Aika knew that.  
  
"Lets hear what you've got to say then, Vyse," said Aika.  
  
"Well, I get it that you girls need a bit more ah... care than us guys do," said Vyse. Aika smirked.  
  
"So," continued the Air Pirate captain, "I thought that maybe you two could have a day off tomorrow... you, to relax and everything, while the rest of go off and look for the treasure."  
  
"What EXACTLY did you have in mind, then, Captain?" asked Aika.  
  
"Well, er," said Vyse, thinking quickly, "You know, there's this great knew spa type thing that they've set up on Sailor's Island, I thought maybe we could drop off you and Fina there for the day, and we come back and get you."  
  
All anger Aika had previously had seemed to evaporate.  
  
"Oh really! That new spa on Sailors Island! You would really give us a whole day there, Vyse!" she said, running up and hugging her childhood friend, "That is SUCH great idea!!"  
  
Vyse grinned.  
  
"Well, you know, I'M the one who came up with it so..."  
  
"Ummm..." said Fina, "Aika... exactly what is this 'spa' thing you're talking about?" Aika stared at Fina, and then began laughing.  
  
"Should have figured you wouldn't know what it was, Fina," she said, and then went on to explain, "The day spa on Sailors Island is this great spot to relax at... they've got hot baths and things to relax in, massages, and oh! It's just wonderful, Fina you'll love it. This kind of thing came originally from Yafutoma, but now that eastern and western Arcadia communicate freely, it has come over here."  
  
"Oh," said Fina, "It certainly does sound like a lot of fun. You can count me in." Aika grinned.  
  
"Then it's decided! Tomorrow Vyse will drop us off at Sailors Island for a day of relaxation! Ahh, I just can't wait!"  
  
As the door shut behind Aika and Fina, Domingo gave a big grin to Vyse.   
  
"I gotta hand it to ya, buddy, you sure did handle that one well! One minute Aika is looking like she is gonna kill us, and the next she's hugging you in her happiness!" said Domingo.  
  
"Well, I've known Aika all my life, so I've learned how to handle her sometimes," said Vyse. Domingo just shook his head.  
  
"Guess I'd better go up to my position on the lookout tower, eh Cap'n?" he said.  
  
"I think you'd better!" said Vyse, grasping the helm, "We'll be staying at Maramba tonight I suppose. I think everyone's tired, and that's a nice bed that's close by. Then tomorrow morning we'll swing by Sailors Island and get rid of those girls!"  
  
"Aye aye!" said Domingo, and left.  
  
Vyse steered his ship across the desert lands, and circled down over Maramba.  
  
* * * *  
  
The next day, Aika rose from bed with a start.  
  
"Rise and shine, Fina, remember where we're going today!" she said. Fina sat up and yawned. Belle in the other bed got up too.  
  
"You two are lucky, getting to go to that spa! Wish I could go too..." she said.   
  
"Sorry Belle, I know that you and the other girls would wanna go too... I'm sorry we forgot about you. But hey, I promise next time we'll take you!" said Aika.  
  
"Thanks Aika," said Belle, "It's really okay though. Watching Vyse, Domingo, and Marco go treasure hunting across the desert again might by pretty funny. And you to definitely deserve a day of rest after marching through across that island yesterday for hours!" Aika gave a wry grin.  
  
"Yeah, well, I suppose that's what you get for being Vyse's best friend!" she said, and Belle and Fina giggled.  
  
Vyse's crew set out early that morning. Aika seemed to be dancing around the ship the entire way to Sailors Island.  
  
"Wow, Fina, I can't believe where we're going!! Thanks again Vyse!" she hugged the young Air Pirate, who blushed and tried to shove her off.  
  
"Hey, Aika, you're gonna make me loose control of the ship... and quit dancing around so much, it's annoying," said Vyse. Aika ignored him and continued to run around doing some kind a 'happy-dance.'  
  
When they docked at Sailors Island, Aika jumped off the ship before it could come to a complete stop. Don shook his head.  
  
"Ya can tell that she's excited about today," he said to Domingo.  
  
"Yeah, well they don't know what they're missing out on! I can tell you for sure that we're gonna find some kind of treasure today! And Aika isn't getting any of it!" said Domingo.  
  
Fina got off the boat, and went running after Aika. The crew watched them go for a moment, and then took off.  
  
So, armed with enough gold to get them through a day's luxuries, Aika and Fina walked down the street of Sailors Island. Aika halted at a very elegant sign that read 'Katrina's Day Spa.'  
  
"Here we are!" said Aika, and both Fina and her headed inside.  
  
They were greeted by a young Yafutoman girl, who smiled at them as they walked in.  
  
"Welcome to Katrina's Spa. My name Celyna, and both of you look ready for a day's relaxation," she said.  
  
"We sure are!" said Aika, "Nice to meet you, Celyna. My name is Aika and this here is Fina. We're Blue Rogues here for a nice break." Celyna gave a cute smile.  
  
"Well then, you came to the right place!" she said, "I'm assuming you want to get started in our luxurious hot bathes?"  
  
"Yeah yeah yeah!" said Aika, beginning to get hyper again, "We're all ready for that, yes we are!"  
  
Fina smiled at her friend.  
  
"Yes, miss Celyna, Aika and I would like to start off like that... shall we pay you now, or do we pay afterwards?" she asked, taking out their fairly large bag of gold.  
  
"You can pay afterwards, Fina, thanks for asking," said Celyna, "Now, please follow me." The two girls followed the young Yafutoman down a hallway and through a door that opened up to reveal a large room with about 5 gigantic bathtubs. There were curtains that could be drawn around each for privacy. A rack and benches lined one side of the room, and there was also a mountain of towels.   
  
"Wow!" said Aika, "This place looks... absolutely amazing!" Celyna giggled.  
  
"Well, you can hang you clothing over there, and it will be all taken care of. There are towels over there, and here are some robes for you to put on when you are finished," said Celyna, handing them two soft, fluffy bath robes. Then she smiled at them and left the room.  
  
The water looked steaming hot and very pleasant, Fina noted. She couldn't wait to try it out. Aika was already one step ahead of her. The redhead was quickly stripping off her clothing.  
  
"C'mon Fina!" said Aika, "You wanna get in the water, don't you?"  
  
"Yes," said Fina, blushing slightly. Aika looked at her, confused for one moment, and then smiled.  
  
"Oh, I get it," said Aika, "You're a little shy, aren't you Fina? Well there's no need to be! We're all girls here! We all got the same stuff, if you know what I mean. Now come on!" Fina blushed some more, walked over and began to undress.  
  
Fina found herself watching Aika as the she undressed. Aika had it easy. Fina felt scrawny and awkward, but Aika... Aika was far from awkward. She had all the right curves in all the right places. And soft, smooth skin that was tanned from spending time under the sun and sailing so much. Fina's skin was very white. Part of it had to do with the fact that she was a lot more covered up than Aika, but Fina thought that it also must have to do with being a Silvite.  
  
Aika stood up, fully nude, and Fina quickly turned away, mostly to hide her face, which was bright crimson. Fina could feel the heat rushing into her ears, and she fervently hoped that it would go back down.  
  
Fina heard a little "Ooooo," behind her as Aika stepped into the water.  
  
"It's hot!" she said, easing her way in, "You ready Fina? C'mon!" Fina quickly walked over to the edge, trying not to blush at her nakedness, and stuck a foot in.  
  
"Oh!" said Fina, quickly withdrawing it, "It is hot!" Aika laughed.  
  
"Of course it is, silly," said Aika, "It's meant to be hot. Now come on. Ahhhh... this feels so nice..." Aika had quickly gotten herself situated on one of the ledges of the tub. As Fina stepped slowly in, she could see that the large tub, more like a small pool, was quite deep, with ledges of various depths around the sides.  
  
Fina slowly eased her way in, and sat down. It DID feel good. You didn't get many hot bathes like this down on Arcadia. Most were cool, as it was a hassle to heat up the water. Fina supposed that there must be some kind of natural hot springs heating the water or something along those lines.  
  
"Wow," said Aika, who had paddled out into the center, "This thing is REALLY deep!" Fina dropped off her ledge, and was quite surprised to find that her feet didn't touch the bottom. Aika was treading water in the center.  
  
"This is just SO amazing!" she said, and then swam back to sit next to Fina. They sat on the ledge awhile, simply relaxing.  
  
"Hey!" said Aika suddenly, "Look over here!" Fina glanced over to where Aika had gone too, and saw the redhead sitting by a large collection of what looked to be all different kinds of soaps and shampoos. Fina could resist a grin.  
  
"This is really neat," she said, moving over next to Aika, and taking one of the bottles.  
  
"I know," said Aika, "I've never had any kind of a bath close to this in my life! Mmmm... smell them Fina. It's so lovely!" Fina opened the bottle and stiffed the soap, and then giggled.  
  
"It smells like flowers in the spring!" said Fina.  
  
"And this one like fresh peaches!" said Aika, "I say that we try them all!" Fina giggled some more. There were sponges and clothes next to the soaps, and the girls used those to wash their bodies. Some they used on their hair (Fina washed her hair 6 times, wanting to try all the varieties), and some seemed to create lots and lots of bubbles.  
  
"Wow! Look at what we've done!" said Aika, looking around at their bubbly and steamy world. Fina looked around also. The air smelled sweetly of the various soaps. Giggles from the girls echoed across the room.  
  
After awhile of messing with the soaps, Aika and Fina decided just to relax. Fina found one particularly high ledge where she could rest her head and let the rest of her body float lazily in the water. Aika did a quick dunk to rinse her hair one more time (though it probably didn't do much good because of the high soap content of the water). Fina watched as orange hair fanned out across the water. Aika emerged once again, and gave a puzzled look to Fina.  
  
"Whatcha lookin' at?" asked Aika. Fina blushed slightly once again.  
  
"Oh nothing... it's that you've got great hair. It's such a vibrant color," Fina answered softly. Aika's hair had great body to it, and while she normally wore it up in her funny looking braids, Fina liked it much better down, though she never told this to Aika. Fina's hair was just short, straight, thin, and boring. Luckily it was always mostly covered by her bandanna.  
  
"So you like my hair, huh Fina?" said Aika, "Well, I think you've got nice looking hair too... it really suites you well, you know."   
  
Because I'm flat and boring too, thought Fina was a bitter edge, which startled her.  
  
"You know, I bet we could do SOMETHING with it..." continued Aika, swimming over to Fina to play with her hair. Fina smiled a bit. She really liked it with when people played around with her hair. Especially Aika.  
  
"Hmmm..." said Aika, not noticing Fina's face, which was growing steadily redder, "You Fina, your really do have nice hair... it's so pretty and elegant. Just like you. That's what I mean when I say it suites you well." Fina tried to hide her face as she turned beat red at Aika's comment.   
  
"Tell you what," said Aika, "We can do something with your hair afterward, okay? I really want to see what we can come up with. Vyse will be so surprised when he sees you I'm sure, eh?" Aika winked at Fina. Fina blushed even more, if that was possible.  
  
"So Fina, how do you feel about Vyse? I think he might have a crush on you!" inquired Aika. Fina didn't exactly know what to say. She had really never thought of Vyse as more than a friend... well, that wasn't entirely true, she may have thought about him a few times... like that... but now she was quite sure that she didn't like Vyse in that way. She hadn't ever really liked a boy. Vyse and... and Ramirez... well, they were more like her brothers. Big brothers, who watched over her. At least Ramirez had been a long time ago. Now it was Vyse.  
  
"You like him, don't you?" asked Aika, grinning when Fina didn't answer.  
  
"Oh know! No, I honestly don't Aika!" said Fina.  
  
"Yeah..." said Aika, in a very sarcastic tone that obviously said she didn't believe Fina.  
  
"Aika!" said Fina, "I really don't like him! And I promise I really have thought about it a few times, but I've decided that I don't. He's more like a really good friend. A big brother even." Aika paused for a few moments, studying Fina, who tried to act to her best ability like she was telling truth. And she really was telling the truth.  
  
"Okay, okay. Whatever you say Fina," said Aika, "I suppose that Vyse has the big brother affect on people. You just know he'll protect you, no matter what... I suppose he does feel like a brother to me too though. He does flirt with you sometimes though." Fina blushed some more.  
  
"I thought... I thought that YOU liked Vyse, Aika," said Fina.  
  
"Me?" asked Aika, "Well... not really. No. Sure, he's a nice guy... but Vyse can be a real airhead sometimes, you know what I mean. Nope, I've pretty much given up on men for the time being. A while back I tried to show him that we could be more than friends but... you know Vyse... either he ignored me or he's just totally clueless." Aika gave a little sigh, a flicker of some emotion flitting across her face for a moment, "Maybe I'll find myself a good guy sometime, but for now, I'll settle with being an Air Pirate with great friends!" Fina grinned.  
  
"You know," she said, "Poor Vyse, here he has two lovely ladies, and he has no chance with either of them!" Aika started to laugh.  
  
"Know what ya mean, Fina," she said, "Poor Vyse. I know that he's never been on a date before. At least not one that I know of. Never had a girlfriend before, though the girls seem to be all over him. I think he likes it, but he never really takes a girl up on her offer. Sometimes I wonder if it's because he's so absorbed in sailing, which could definitely be true, or maybe he really DOES like one of us, or maybe he's just... you know... queer." Fina cocked her head at this.  
  
"What do mean, 'queer'?" she asked innocently, quite confused.   
  
"Oh Fina, there you go again," said Aika, "Anyways, queer is... well, homosexual. He likes guys instead of girls. People of the same gender. Maybe he's gay."  
  
"Oh," said Fina, looking down at the soap bubbles floating across the water, "Is that... bad?"  
  
"What?" asked Aika, "Bad? Well, some people might tell you so... some people think it's gross and wrong and everything, but I certainly don't think there's anything wrong with it. People like that are just the same as you and me..." Aika looked at her friend for a moment.  
  
"Fina? Is anything wrong?" she asked, "You're looking kind of down."  
  
"Oh nothing," said Fina, immediately trying to erase that look from her face, "It's just that... the Silvite Elders once talked about how loving somebody of the same gender is a sin... there were stories of two woman long ago being banished because they were in love..." Aika remained quiet for a moment, listening to Fina.  
  
"It sounds to me like these Silvite Elders were a couple of jerks, Fina," said Aika finally. Fina continued to look down at the water.  
  
"They really weren't... they were really quite wise I think... they just had different views of things than most of the people down here on Arcadia have," said Fina.  
  
"Let's just say misinformed then, okay?" said Aika, cracking a smile. Fina found herself smiling some too.  
  
"Okay," she said.  
  
"Hey," said Aika, grinning, trying to cheer Fina up "Maybe Vyse has been secretly having a relationship with that helmsman of ours, the one who never speaks... Lawrence. He's pretty cute, you know... or maybe Domingo... naw, he's too obsessed with women... maybe we'll have to hunt out a boyfriend for him or something... of course, we're already having enough trouble finding OURSELVES boyfriends, let alone one for Vyse now too..." Fina smiled at Aika. Truth be told, she had never really thought of finding a boyfriend after she had decided that she didn't like Vyse.  
  
Now they both finally remained quiet for quite some time. Fina floated in the water, while Aika sat on the side. All was quiet as they both concentrated and being totally relaxed. Steam floated over the pool, and sweet scents wafted through the air. Fina felt herself getting drowsy, and began to slowly nod off into sleep. Aika also slipped off into a slumber.  
  
Neither of them knew later how long they lay there, but Aika was the first one to wake up.  
  
"Oh," said Aika suddenly, "I am HOT!" This woke Fina up too. The Silvite's face was flushed red. She moved herself into an upright position.  
  
"Wow Fina, you are RED!" said Aika, rubbing her eyes and looking at the other girl, "I think we stayed in this hot water for too long." Fina was beginning to feel a bit dizzy, and moved to get out of the water.  
  
"I think we'd better get out now," she said.  
  
"Good idea," agreed Aika, and wadded out of the water also, "But wasn't that just fantastic... wow, I just feel so revitalized! And the hot water just eased all my aching muscles!"  
  
"Mine too!" said Fina, smiling. Sailing was tough work sometimes, and it felt good to relax in the hot water, especially after that trek yesterday, which seemed like days ago. Even this morning seemed like days ago. It felt like they had been lying in that water for SUCH a long time.  
  
Both girls put on their robes, which were a lovely shade of light blue, and went down to Fina's ankles. They found that their clothes at been removed at one point while they were in the water.  
  
"Prolly to be washed," said Aika, "After all, they were all sweaty and gross." Fina nodded. They headed out of the bathing room to be met by Celyna.  
  
"Ah, I see you've finished," she said, "Did you enjoy it?"  
  
"More than ever!" said Aika.  
  
"It was really great, Celyna," said Fina, "But what did you do with our clothes?"  
  
"Oh, one of the girls took them out while you two were in there," said Celyna, "They are being washed right now, and we'll return them to you at the end of you're visit."  
  
"Told ya," said Aika.  
  
"Thank you very much Celyna!" said Fina. Celyna smiled.  
  
"Think nothing of it! That's our job here, to make sure that you have the best time possible!" she said, "Now, what would you like to do next? We have a variety of things available for you, such as our amazing, world famous massage treatments..."  
  
"Actually," interrupted Aika, "I'm ah... kinda hungry... is there any way we could..."  
  
"Say no more!" said Celyna, "Here at Katrina's Spa we can provide you with some small, nice snacks. If you'll come this way, please." Aika and Fina bother followed her into a room where there was a few tables set up.  
  
"Today is a slow day, and I'm sure that madame Katrina would love to eat with you," said Celyna.  
  
"Really? Katrina? The owner of this place?" asked Aika, surprised.  
  
"Why of course," said Celyna, smiling, "Katrina just loves to meet all of her customers and chat with them. She's determined to find all that she can about the Western culture, and talking with guests is a great way to do this." And with that, Celyna went through a pair of doors to get the meal ready. Aika and Fina sat down at the low, traditional Yafutoman-style table.  
  
"This place is really quite unique," Fina commented. Aika nodded.  
  
"I know..."  
  
Just then, a middle-aged Yafutoman woman walked into the room and smiled at Aika and Fina.  
  
"You must be the two Air Pirate guests that Celyna told me about," she said.  
  
Aika smiled and nodded, "Yes were are, Katrina ma'am, I'm Aika and this is Fina. We're members of Vyse the Blue Rogue's crew. And may I say, this is an amazing place that you run here..."  
  
"Thank you," said Katrina, smiling broadly, and sat down.  
  
Just then a few girls entered the room. They were younger than Celyna, and two appeared to Yafutoman while the other looked like she was a Sailor's Island resident who had been hired. They carried a kettle of tea, four cups, and a tray with an assortment of foods. Aika's eyes widened and the redhead grinned.  
  
"Wow! This looks delicious!" she said. Katrina smiled.  
  
"Glad you like it. These girls here are excellent cooks you know," said Katrina, and then turned to the girls, "That will be all now, thank you." The three girls bowed and left the room. Celyna entered just then and sat down. She poured tea for all four of them.  
  
"Thank you, Celyna," said Fina, and slowly took a ship of the hot herbal tea. It was quite nice.  
  
"So," said Aika between mouthfuls of food, "Katrina... I would love for you to tell me how this place got started!" Katrina smiled and nodded.  
  
"Well," she started, "You say that you are a member of Vyse's crew, right?" Aika and Fina both nodded.  
  
"Then you know Moegi?" asked Katrina.   
  
"Oh yes, we know Moegi," said Aika, "She joined our crew back when we were searching for the Moon Crystals, and when we found our way to Yafutoma for the first time. She decided to come with us to see the world. I don't know if we've seen her for awhile though..."  
  
"Yes," said Katrina, "Awhile ago Moegi came back to Yafutoma to tell us all of the wonderful things that she had seen on her trip around Arcadia... it was really quite amazing to here about all the things in the Western world for the first time. Yafutoma learned all about these new things, and the people were quite excited. We started out by incorporating a few Western things into our society... of course, Yafutoma still has its traditions and all, but the new Western ways make our life easier and more colorful."   
  
"And the things we learned from the Yafutomans make our life easier too! It's because of you that our ship can soar to new heights!" said Aika.  
  
"Yes, I guess we have all helped each other," said Katrina, and then continued, "Eventually, some Yafutomans wanted to move to the Western lands. This caused some arguing on whether we should allow people to migrate. However, we found that there were a few Westerners who wanted to move to Yafutoma. Eventually we decided to let the people move freely between the East and the West." Fina nodded.  
  
"So I'm assuming that's how you made your way here?" she asked. Katrina smiled.  
  
"Yes, Celyna and I, as well as a few other girls, some of which you have seen, decided to come here and start up a spa business here in the west. I used to work at a local one in Yafutoma, and I know quite a bit about running a business and such. We decided to start it on Sailor's Island, as you can see," said Katrina, "The people here were amazingly eager about it. Together with some Western geologists, we managed to find a small, underground natural hot springs, which made this location even more perfect. We hired ourselves some builders to help, as well as a few more Westerners who were willing to help work in the Spa. It all turned out quite nice in the end, and we were all very proud. I must say though, I wasn't at all expecting the instant popularity. We had many, many customers just in our first week. In fact, we've been so successful that there have been requests for our spas to be set up in many other places, such as Nasr and Ixa'taka."  
  
"You should help us set up one on Crescent Island!" said Aika, who couldn't resist the urge to blurt this out, "Fina and I just love this place so much, and it would be soooo nice to have our own place like this on Crescent Island..."  
  
"Where is Crescent Island?" asked Katrina.  
  
"Oh..." said Aika, "Well... it's kind of our own kinda secret island where our base is. I don't know have secret it is anymore though, and it probably would be crawling with people if we had our own spa-type place there, but I was just thinking for the crew and all..." Aika gave a hopeful grin.  
  
"I really don't know about that just right now, we're already well under way on working on Ixa'taka, but if you only want a small one..." said Katrina.  
  
"It's really okay," said Aika hastily, "I'm sorry, I kind of got away from myself there... it's just like I said, this place is so amazing, it would be nice to have one of our own... I bet everybody would want that though... but it wouldn't have to be extensive, we could run it ourselves, having the people who aren't sailing at the moment help maintain it for the other crew members... oh, and there I go again, sorry..."  
  
"No Aika, that's alright," said Katrina, "Actually, we have been discussing plans for a few smaller ones after we get larger spas set up in the major locations of Arcadia. I can stay in touch with you about a private spa for Crescent Island."  
  
"Really?" said Aika, perking up again, "We've got two of the greatest builders in Arcadia on Crescent Island, and one of them is from Yafutoma too. Just drop by any time, I'm sure they could work something out with you." Katrina grinned at Aika's eagerness.  
  
"Well Aika, we can work on it," she said. Aika smiled.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
The rest of the meal was rather uneventful. Aika and Fina went on to tell Katrina and Celyna all the adventures they had had sailing, and all the things they had seen.  
  
"That sounds so exciting," said Celyna, "I sure would like to become a sailor one day..."  
  
"Yes Celyna, but if everybody was a sailor we wouldn't have this wonderful place to come and relax at when we're tired!" said Fina. Celyna grinned.  
  
"Yeah, I suppose you're right..." said the young Yafutoman.  
  
The rest of the day was spent doing various other things. Aika and Fina went on to have an extremely relaxing massage. They took another dip in the bath too. The afternoon was nearly over when they left.  
  
"Thank you for coming!" called Celyna as they left.  
  
"Anytime!" said Aika, "And I can guarantee you that we'll be back... maybe with some other members of our crew! And remember what I said about Crescent Island Katrina!" The spa owner merely smiled and waved at Aika and Fina.  
  
"Well," said Aika as they walked down the street of Sailor's Island, "I'd say that we've got a little bit of time, what do you want to do?"  
  
Fina didn't have a chance to answer, as just then two people rushed past then: a woman and a young man.  
  
"Stop you thief!" cried the woman.  
  
A/N: So yeah. The first chapter of my little fanfic. I'm not the best writer in the world I don't think, but I at least try, so please take the time to review if you're feeling especially nice today. 


	2. This World is So Big and I'm So Small

A/N: Sorry for the looooonnng time of not updating. But hopefully a longer chapter will make it all worthwhile. (It's nearly 20 pages O.O) So anyways, don't expect updates to be close together... for me writing a chapter takes time... especially with other stuff to do. But please enjoy chapter 2! Hopefully this fic can get off the ground soon...  
  
And one last note... I suck at making up names... please don't laugh... and I'm REALLY sorry for any grammatical/spelling errors that I make... I should have prolly paid more attention in English when we talked about all that stuff if I was planning on writing fics. I really do try to proofread.  
  
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Chapter 2: This World is So Big and I'm So Small  
  
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Aika and Fina both spun around as the man ran past them.  
  
"He's stealing that woman's bag! Hey you! Stop!" cried Aika. A well-aimed throw of Aika's boomerang landed the thief on the ground.  
  
"Go cupil! Get him!" ordered Fina. Cupil transformed into a large club smacked the thief just as he was trying to get up after falling down from Aika's throw. Aika and Fina ran over to him. The thief stood up, blood oozing from his nose, and threw the bag aside.  
  
"Ha!" he said, "You call that a throw? You can have you're little bag back, lady, beating up these two will be much more satisfying..." The woman scrambled to grab her bag, then backed away apprehensively.  
  
"Get out of here," Aika told the woman, "Leave this little punk to us."  
  
"Ha!" said the thief, "I'm Jenviro, a high-ranking member of the Thief's Guild. I've stolen many valuable items and have taken out all who stand in my way. And you two think that you can beat me!" He smirked confidently.  
  
"I don't like this guy, do you Fina?" asked Aika, and Fina shook her head.  
  
"Not at all. Stealing from innocent people is wrong," said Fina.  
  
"Stealing from innocent people is wrong!" mocked Jenviro in a high-pitched voice. Aika gritted her teeth.  
  
"This guy is really getting on my nerves," she said, "Okay, Jenviro, or whoever you are, we're Aika and Fina, the Blue Rogues, and we're gonna be your downfall! It is a Blue Rogue's job to defend the weak, and not only are we gonna defend them, we're gonna kick your ass!" Jenviro smiled, and as fast as lightning withdrew a thin cutlass.  
  
"Come and get me then!" he taunted, going into a defensive stance.  
  
"Don't mind if I do!" shouted Aika, heaving her boomerang at the thief. Jenviro was ready this time, and easily dodged the boomerang. Catching Aika off guard, he charged at her. Aika yelped, and try to dodge out of the way. She didn't totally miss the blade though, which had cut a small sliver through her arm.  
  
"Aika!" cried Fina, "Are you okay?"  
  
"Just fine, Fina!" said Aika, grinning. She reached out her hand and grabbed the incoming boomerang, and the swiftly caught the back side of Jenviro and knocked him in the head. Fina quickly came in here. Cupil fired himself at Jenviro again. Jenviro fell over, and Aika caught him by the back of his shirt.  
  
"Let go of me, you stupid girl!" said Jenviro, struggling in Aika's grip. The Blue Rogue was strong though, and held the thief.  
  
"Well Fina, looks like we've caught ourselves something!" said Aika grinning. Jenviro glared at both of them.  
  
"You two will be sorry! When the Thief's Guild gets word of this... oh, you two Blue Rogues won't know what hit ya!" shouted Jenviro.  
  
"Hmmm, Fina," said Aika, "I specifically remember this place that Sailor's Island built to put all the bad people like this guy they caught... what was it called again... oh yeah, JAIL!" Jenviro squirmed some more. By this time, many people had appeared on the scene. Men had showed up to take care of the thief. Aika handed over Jenviro to a buff-looking man.  
  
"Thank you very much, young ladies, for taking care of this ruffian... he's been causin' a lot of trouble lately, haven't ya Jenny?" The man gave Jenviro a shake. The thief had decided that there was no use getting away, and was merely glaring around at everybody. He was then taken away by some more men.  
  
"Well, you two sure did take care of that quickly," said the one man, studying the two girls, "Wait a second! You two are the famous Vyse the Legend's companions, aren't you? Wow, I never thought that I'd meet you two out on streets! You have our most utter thanks!" Fina blushed, and Aika tossed away the formalities with a wave of her hand.  
  
"We just like doing what's right that's all. I'm Aika and this is Fina." The man then smiled at them.  
  
"And I'm the jail master of Sailor's Island. Say, I couldn't talk you two lovely ladies into letting me take you out to dinner?" Aika smiled and blushed.  
  
"Actually, we really have places to go... maybe some other time..." said Aika. The man looked slightly put off, but smiled back.  
  
"Okay, I understand. See you girls around sometimes." And then he walked off.  
  
The girls stood there for a few moments for no particular reason.  
  
"I guess Vyse is kinda late," said Fina.  
  
"Well, he never did exactly tell us when he would be here," Aika pointed out.  
  
"True," said Fina, "Hey Aika, while we're waiting, how about we go watch the sunset?" Evening was setting in, and Fina always loved watching sunsets.  
  
"Good idea, Fina. It'll give us something to do while we wait for Vyse."  
  
They sat down on a bench nearby. The sun was just beginning to set, and all different colors were spraying across the sky like strokes of a paintbrush. Both Aika and Fina remained silent for a few minutes, watching the sunset.  
  
"It's really beautiful, huh," said Aika.  
  
"Yeah," said Fina, "But it looks nicer if you sit on the lookout tower of the Delphinus and watch it. Especially in the Upper Sky when there is nothing else around but miles upon miles of sky, and the sunset seems to spread in every direction." Aika looked at Fina for a moment as she said this.  
  
"That was very... poetic... artistic... or whatever you would call it," said Aika.  
  
"Romantic?" murmured Fina, not knowing why. Aika just looked at her for a few moments more.  
  
"Yeah. Romantic. You need to say that to some guy on your first date. Well, he would probably want to say it to you... so maybe not..." Aika's voice trailed off, "It was beautiful though." Fina didn't say anything, but kept her eyes on the sunset.  
  
"Remember when Vyse said that he wanted to sail all the way to the sunset?" asked Fina.  
  
"Yeah," said Aika, fond memories darting across her brain, "He's something, isn't he? Hasn't accomplished that yet, has he?" Fina had decided awhile ago not to burst Vyse's bubble by telling him that it was impossible to say into the sunset.  
  
"No..." said Fina, smiling slightly, then asked, "Wonder when he's gonna get here?"  
  
"He may be kinda late I think. Maybe we'll be here for a few more hours. Never count on Vyse to be on time," said Aika, "Until then... we can just relax I guess." There was silence for a few minutes, and then Aika spoke again.  
  
"We sure showed that thief today, uh Fina?" asked Aika. The sun was halfway down by now.  
  
"Mmmm hmmm..." said Fina absently mindedly, watching the colors in the sky with a far away look on her face.  
  
"We make a pretty good team," said Aika, grinning to herself, "We can kick some serious butt even without Vyse helping us! In fact, we can fight just as good by ourselves! Maybe even better."  
  
"You really think so?" asked Fina, still not thinking about their conversation completely.  
  
"I know so!" said Aika, "Fina, you 'n me make prolly one of the best teams! Two person team that is!" Aika paused for a second then, thinking.  
  
"Fina?" she asked.  
  
"Mmm."  
  
"Fina, pay attention to me!" said Aika. Fina snapped, and then looked at Aika.  
  
"Sorry. What do you want?"  
  
"S'okay," said Aika, "Anyways... wanted to ask you something just now..."  
  
"Yeah?" asked Fina.  
  
"Fina... how would you feel about... about... going on an adventure by ourselves!" Aika blurted out.  
  
Fina sat there, slightly surprised for a minute at this totally random question.  
  
"What do you mean Aika?" she asked.  
  
"I mean ditch Vyse!" said Aika, and began to eagerly explain her plan, liking it more every second, "Think about it Fina. We DO make a great team. We're tough girls. We can survive on our own. We're great Air Pirates too. We could easily leave this island before Vyse gets back, which probably won't be for awhile anyways, and go off by ourselves! We'll have the time of our lives!"  
  
Fina was still slightly surprised by this sudden idea, and had to stop and think for a little bit before she answered.  
  
"Aika, are you sure that's a good idea? Leave now? Don't you think we should wait until... until..."  
  
"Until when?" asked Aika, "We'll never get a better chance to ditch Vyse than this! And don't worry!! Vyse will be fine without us!"  
  
"But Aika," said Fina, "We don't even have a ship!" This seemed to be a definite setback, but the redhead thought for a moment and came up with a plan.  
  
"No problem!" she said, "We'll just go on down to the Sailor's Guild. People who run ships always go down there looking for sailors-for-hire. I'm sure that we'll find somebody who will take us!"  
  
"At this time at night?" asked Fina, "And then what do we do once we get on the ship? Going wherever our captain wants to go isn't exactly what I call an adventure, unless that captain is somebody like Vyse." Aika was obviously getting annoyed by now at all these details Fina was pointing out.  
  
"We'll find somebody before Vyse gets here! We won't though if we sit here all night talking. Once we get on the ship, we'll just leave once we get as fare away from Sailor's Island as we get, get ourselves a job, and get a little ship for ourselves. Remember, like we did that one time in Nasr... now are you in or not?"  
  
Fina sighed, but nodded.  
  
"Guess I'm in," she said, "I still don't know how we're gonna pull it off."  
  
"Good!" said Aika, grinning in triumph. She stood up and grabbed Fina's arm, then began to run off.  
  
"Now come on!" said the Air Pirate, "We've got so much to do and so little time to do it! First we have to get our selves disguises..."  
  
"Disguises?" asked Fina, "You never said anything about disguises..."  
  
"C'mon, Fina," said Aika, "You saw that man who took that thief away... it will be no fun if everyone is treating us like THAT! We just have to look a little different, and hopefully they won't recognize us..."  
  
"Aika, are you sure about this..." Aika pulled Fina off down towards the shops on the island.  
  
"Okay," said Aika, "We're gonna need some completely different outfits..." Aika turned suddenly into a shop, randomly grabbing some clothing and paying for it with the leftover gold. Then she hurried out and pulled Fina over to the weapons shop.  
  
"Well, if it isn't Vyse's two lovely ladies," said the shopkeeper, "And what can I do for you today?"  
  
"Two cutlasses please!" ordered Aika.  
  
"Two cutlasses?" exclaimed Fina and the shopkeeper at the same time.  
  
"Yep, that's right," said Aika, "And be quick about it, we're kinda in a hurry here." The shopkeeper shook his head.  
  
"If you say so. Don't know why you two lovely ladies would want to carry cutlasses around..."  
  
"Just give 'em to me!" said Aika, getting impatient.  
  
"Okay, okay... here... two regular old cutlasses," said the shopkeeper as Aika grabbed them from him and slapped the gold down on the table, "And you be careful with them, too!"  
  
"Don't worry! Me 'n Fina know how to use them, right Fina?"  
  
"Well... er..." said Fina as they walked out of the shop, "Aika, why do we need cutlasses?"  
  
"All part of the disguise. The boomerang is my trademark, and Cupil is yours. And besides, cutlasses will make us look tough. And I'm sure that we could get the hang of them easily!" said Aika. Fina didn't say anything.  
  
"Now come on," said Aika, still holding Fina's arm and leading her down another path, "We can change er... over here, in the dark... or something..." They turned into a dark corner. Aika pulled out two different Air Pirate outfits, and handed one to Fina. They both undressed and dressed quickly in silence.  
  
"Now," said Aika, as they stepped out in the light to see how they looked, "You look just fine... but I gotta do something with my hair..."  
  
Aika untied and loosened her braids, throwing her long, orange hair back. Fina could feel a little shiver run down her spine as the last rays of the sun caught Aika's hair as she tossed it back. The different colors of the sunset glinting against the already amazing color of Aika's hair was really a very... beautiful sight. It took Fina's breath away for a moment, until Aika looked over at her, and Fina blushed, glad that the growing darkness could hide her face, and looked away.  
  
Aika was fumbling with her hair, and Fina looked up again to watch her.  
  
"What do you think of it in a ponytail?" asked Aika.  
  
"I..." said Fina, her voice rather soft, "I like it any way you have, Aika." Aika threw Fina a rather puzzled look.  
  
"And what is that supposed to mean?" she asked, "Well, does it look good like this?"  
  
"Ummm... yeah Aika... yeah," Fina turned away again, unsure of what had just come out of her mouth a few seconds ago. But Aika DID have nice hair, and it ALWAYS looked good in Fina's opinion...  
  
"A ponytail looks just fine, Aika..." murmured Fina.  
  
"Good," said Aika, "You're hair I think can stay as is... but I did promise you that I would try and do something with it, didn't I?"  
  
"Aika you really don't have to," said Fina hastily, blushing some.  
  
"No Fina, I insist... tell you what, once we get settled on our new ship, I'll find some time to mess with it, okay?" said Aika. Fina continued to blush, but nodded.  
  
"Okay," said Aika, finishing her hair, "Down to the Sailors' Guild we go!"  
  
They ran off down the street. Fina found it very awkward trying to run with a cutlass at her side, and wondered how Vyse managed to carry two of them around.  
  
Aika came to a skidding halt just before the Sailors' Guild, and Fina nearly ran into her.  
  
"What is it?" asked Fina.  
  
"Fina!" whispered Aika as if she had just realized something, "Cupil! You need to get rid of Cupil! People will recognize you!"  
  
"Oh..." said Fina, and looked at Cupil by her side, "Cupil... you know what to do, on my arm..."  
  
Cupil gave Fina a rather indignant look for a moment, but, giving a little grumble, he shaped himself into a bracelet on Fina's arm.   
  
"Okay!" said Aika, giving Fina a thumbs up, who gave a slightly exasperated smile. Both girls then turned and walked into the Sailors' Guild.  
  
Aika walked up to the desk (Fina noticed that she was having a little trouble with the cutlass also, which was slightly too large for her), and rang the small bell on the desk. The master of the Sailors' Guild appeared from behind a curtain, set down the book he had been looking at, and leaned over the desk to talk to them.  
  
"And what can I do for you lasses today?" he asked.  
  
"We were wondering if you er... had any openings for a couple of sailors," said Aika, "Umm... preferably for a ship that is leaving soon."  
  
"Well," said the Guild master, "Normally at this time, all the ships have either left or are moored here for the night... but..." he consulted a sheet that lay on the desk, "It just so happens we have a ship that leaves tonight... awfully funny," he mused, "Vice Cap'n of the ship can by this mornin', said he was spending the rest of the day here, but was leaving at dusk, and was hopin' to find some new deckhands..." The Guild master peered down at his watch and added, "He's late."  
  
"We'll take the jobs!" said Aika, "Me and my friend here... er... Mina, are two quite able bodied workers, isn't that right..."  
  
"You'd better tell him that," said the Guild master, pointing behind them. Aika and Fina spun around to see a man standing in the doorway.  
  
"I see you've found me some new sailors," said the man. He was dressed in Air Pirate's clothes and had a long, curved sword at his side.  
  
"Not exactly what I expected," said the man, surveying Aika and Fina, "But I'm sure the captain will like them. You two look like you can take care of yourselves too."  
  
And indeed, even Fina looked quite tough in her new outfit. Aika was wearing a tight black tank-top, green pants, a pair of brown boots that reached her knees, a large black belt where her cutlass hung at her side, and a pair of navy blue leather gloves. She had also gotten a new pair of goggles that were strapped around here head in the usual position. Fina also kept the same style of clothing on her head with her blue bandana, but now wore a white shirt and gray jacket, long blue shorts, brown belt for her cutlass, and pair of small navy blue boots.  
  
"Well," continued the Vice Captain, "So you two are willing to take the job?" Aika and Fina both nodded.  
  
"Very well," said the Vice Captain, "I am Arvelon, Vice Captain of the 'Airwave'. And your names are?"  
  
"Mina and er..." Aika paused for a moment, and then blurted out the first name that came to mind, "Bellena." Arvelon nodded.  
  
"Well then, if you would like to just leave right now, we can discuss your pay with the Captain when he returns," said Arvelon.  
  
"Yeah, we're ready to go as soon as possible!" said Aika. Arvelon waved his hand and walked out the door, telling them to follow him, and Aika and Fina hurried after him.   
  
The Airwave was quite a large ship that was moored on the docks.  
  
"How are they going to take off in this darkness?" Fina whispered to Aika. The light had been fading fast since the sun when down.  
  
"Dunno, they must have a lighting system, like the Delphinus," Aika whispered back.  
  
"Vice Cap'n Arvelon!" came a voice from above, and a rope ladder was thrown down. Arvelon, Aika and Fina quickly scurried up the ladder.  
  
"Any news?" Arvelon asked the deckhand who had dropped the ladder once they got up.  
  
"Well, Cap'n ain't back yet, if that's what yer askin'," said the deckhand.  
  
"Very well then," said Arvelon, "Tell them down in the control room to take off, heading west. We should meet up with our Captain shortly. Tell them I will be there in a few moments." The deckhand disappeared inside the ship, and Arvelon turned to Aika and Fina.  
  
"You two can just get a good night's rest, and get settled in your quarters. Have you already ate dinner this evening?" he asked.  
  
"Yes sir, we have," Aika lied. She didn't know about Fina, but she was quite ready to just relax for the rest of the evening.  
  
"Good..." said Arvelon, and turned to another sailor on the deck, "Gecele! I need you to do something for me!" A young female Air Pirate can running over to them.  
  
"Yes, Vice Cap'n Arvelon, what do you need?" she asked.  
  
"I need you to take our two newest crewmembers, Bellena and Mina down to the deckhand's quarters. Make sure that they get situated," Arvelon instructed to his crewmember.  
  
"You've got!" said Gecele, "C'mon, Bellena and Mina, I'll show you where us gals sleep!"  
  
It took a nudge from Fina before Aika let out an 'Oh!', and hurried after Gecele, realizing that she was talking to them.  
  
Fina had to admit that the Airwave did have very nice living quarters. Almost as nice as the Delphinus. In fact, they seemed strangely similar to that of the Delphinus, almost like they had been modeled after it...  
  
"Here's a bunk for you two," said Gecele, gesturing to an empty bunk in the corner. Aika threw her stuff on the top bunk and Fina put hers on the bottom.  
  
"So... old Arv picked you two up at Sailors' Island?" asked Gecele. Aika nodded.  
  
"Hehe, I think old Arv was looking for a couple MALES, to tell you the truth," said Gecele.  
  
"Why?" asked Fina.  
  
"Well," said Gecele, "The Cap'n... well, he's a very interesting fellow... anyways, you'll meet him tomorrow at breakfast probably, and you'll see why Arv didn't want anymore girls aboard this ship." Aika and Fina exchanged glances, wondering who this captain could be.  
  
"So anyways, where are you two from?" asked Gecele.  
  
"Born 'n raised on Sailors' Island! We've been sailing around for most of our lives," said Aika so assuredly that it made Fina think that she had actually PLANNED this made-up response.  
  
"So you've sailed a lot, huh?" said Gecele, "With this one you wouldn't think it," she nodded to Fina, "So tiny and petite... but then again, I'm sure that you can use those big cutlasses of yours pretty well, so you must be a lot tougher than you look."  
  
"Er... yes," said Aika.  
  
"Well, I suppose I'd better get back up on deck," said Gecele, "I'll see you two tomorrow morning. For now you can just get situated and everything... there's drawers to put your stuff in over there, and the bathing room is just down the hallway on your right... the girl's one has a little redhead gal on it..."  
  
"Redhead?" asked Aika, slightly curious.  
  
"Yeah, the Cap'n... he's obsessed with this redhead girl... never seen her," Gecele paused for a moment, looking at Aika, "In fact, the girl on the door of the bathroom looks kinda like you, come to think of it. Just her hair is braided." Gecele shrugged.  
  
"Anyways. See you."  
  
"Bye!" chorused Aika and Fina together. Gecele exited the room.  
  
"WELL," said Aika, "Looks like we've got some time on our hands, seeing as we don't exactly have much stuff to unpack or anything... hey, I know! I said I'd do your hair, didn't I?"  
  
"Aika, really, you don't have to..." said Fina.  
  
"Come ON Fina, I want to!" said Aika.  
  
"Well, okay..." said Fina. Aika grabbed her bag back off the top bunk, rummaged around a bit, and then pulled out a brush and a few hair ties.  
  
"Okay, Fina, here, sit between my knees," said Aika as she sat down on the lower bunk, and Fina propped her shoulders against bed.  
  
"Alright then," said Aika, "Let me see what I can do with this..."  
  
Carefully, Aika untied the knot on Fina's bandana and removed it, allowing Fina's hair to spray across her lap. Fina's hair had grown slightly longer, but it still only reached to about her shoulders.  
  
"Let's see here... what can we do..." pondered Aika, "I'm good at braiding hair, how about that?"  
  
"Okay," agreed Fina.  
  
"Alright!" said Aika, and began combing Fina's hair.  
  
It felt nice, thought Fina to herself, having someone comb her hair like this. Whenever she combed her own hair was always a pain and a bother to fix it up nice, but when someone did it for you it was so relaxing. And Aika had just that right kind of tenderness, just the right touch to make Fina totally forget all her troubles and drift off into daydreams.  
  
Fina's head fell back onto Aika's lap softly as Silvite relaxed. A small smile crossed Aika's lips, and the redhead continued to brush her friend's hair. Fina's hair had a nice, silky touch that just slipped through your fingers. Aika ran the brush through Fina hair until it shined.  
  
Then, carefully, Aika parted Fina's hair and began to braid it. Fina came out of her slight nap by the gentle tugging on her headd.  
  
"Am I pulling to hard?" asked Aika.  
  
"No," said Fina quietly, "Your doing a wonderful job."  
  
"I always love having somebody do my hair," said Aika, with a slight wistful tone in her voice, "Not that I ever had many people do it for me... when your best friend is Vyse, you don't spend a lot of time messing around with your hair. Vyse's mom did it for me sometimes... Vyse was always impatient though, and kept asking if we could go out and play yet."  
  
"Didn't your mom ever help you with your hair?" asked Fina.  
  
There was quiet, awkward silence in which Fina suddenly realized what she had said.  
  
"Oh Aika I'm so sorry!" she said, whipping around to look up at her friend, "I... I forgot Aika... I wasn't thinking... I'm so sorry... I hope... I..."  
  
"It's okay Fina," said Aika. She was smiling, though Fina couldn't help but notice the hint of sadness in her seemingly happy eyes at the mention of her parents.  
  
"And you messed up your braids silly," added Aika, "Now I'm going to have to start them all over again.  
  
"Oh... oh," said Fina, "I'm sorry..." Reluctantly, she turned around again and allowed Aika to continue.  
  
They sat in silence for a while longer. Fina didn't know what to do, she felt so embarrassed and uncomfortable about bringing up the touchy subject of Aika's parents. Fina groped for another topic of discussion.  
  
"So... Aika... exactly how... did your parents die?" asked Fina.  
  
Damnit. THAT certainly wasn't what she had been going for.  
  
"Well," began Aika, "It was quite a while ago so I don't really remember that much. There was a big attack by Valua on a group of Air Pirates that we at Pirate Isle were very good friends with. So of course we had to rush in and help them out."   
  
Aika let out a small sigh.   
  
"I remember the night before the Albatross was set to leave,. I begged my parents to let me come along, but they said it was too dangerous. Rumor had it that a small fleet of the Valuan ships was attacking the Air Pirates, so it would certainly be very dangerous. The Albatross left early the next morning, and I waved to my parents, having the utmost confidence that they would return back with everyone else."  
  
There was another pause here. Fina waited for Aika to continue.  
  
"My mother's dead body was returned to me when the Albatross came back, badly damaged, but victorious. But my father had plummeted to his death in battle. All I received was his favorite bandana, the colorful blue and gold one I gave him for his birthday. It had fallen out during the fight, and was stained with blood and torn in some places."   
  
"My mother was returned to the deep sky also to rest in peace. I was told my parents died bravely. The Valuans supposedly boarded the Albatross, and our crew was outnumbered. One sailor told me that my father was last seen trying to take on 10 soldiers by himself before he fell to his death, and my mother trying to fight and heal everyone else. She was too late to save herself though..."  
  
Aika's voice drifted off into silence.  
  
"Did she ever do your hair for you?" asked Fina, "I mean, before she died, did she get the chance?"  
  
"Yes," said Aika was a small sigh, "I remember when I was very little, she taught me how to braid my hair. That's why I've worn my hair in braids ever since."  
  
There was another long silence, and then it was Aika's turn to ask the questions.  
  
"What was your mother like, Fina?" asked Aika, "I mean, you Silvites do have mothers, don't you?"  
  
"Oh yes," said Fina, "But we Silvites are raised slightly differently than Arcadians. When we are born, we are given to a foster mother, a Silvite whose job it is to look after and raise the younger Silvites. My real mother was a very amazing lady. She was very beautiful, kind, and intelligent, but I never really got the chance to know her. I more consider my foster mother as my mother... she was wonderful, and raised me well I think."  
  
"That's kind of sad though," said Aika thoughtfully, "That you never really got to know your real mother. Why did the Silvites set it up that way?"  
  
"The Elders thought it was the best, most efficient way to run things," said Fina softly.  
  
"I'm sorry Fina," said Aika gently.  
  
"It doesn't really matter anyways," said Fina, "I love my foster mother so much, and I really do miss her." There was a content sort of smile on her face.  
  
They talked for a while longer about things that they used to do with their families, and what their parents were like. Finally talk gave way to silent thought, and Fina stared up at the ceiling.  
  
"There, done," said Aika suddenly, jerking Fina back to the present once more, "Hope you like it."  
  
Fina felt the top of her head and could feel two neat rows of braids.  
  
"Wow, thanks Aika!" said Fina, "It's wonderful!"  
  
"Well, you really can't say that yet... we'll have to find a mirror or something so that you can look at it properly," said Aika, "But we can do that in the morning. You're hair shouldn't be too messed up by then."  
  
"Thanks again though," said Fina, "Aika..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"You're mother taught you well."  
  
There was a silence in which Fina turned around to get up and noticed what looked like a tear forming in Aika's eye. But Aika quickly brushed it away, though not without suppressing a quiet sob. Fina, feeling awkward again and hoping that she hadn't upset her friend too much, tried to talk about something different than parents this time.  
  
"Well, I think I'll wash up for bed now," she said.  
  
"Good idea. Where did Gecele say the bathrooms were again?" asked Aika.  
  
"Right down this way," said Fina, pointing, as they stepped out into the hall. They walked down the hallways, and stopped outside the wooden door that had the face of a redheaded pirate girl in pigtails.  
  
"You know," commented Fina, "It really DOES look a lot like you."  
  
"Yeah," said Aika, "It's really kinda freaky."  
  
They pushed open the door and headed inside. It was a rather nice bathroom accommodation. Toilets and sinks were on one side, with shower stalls on the other. In the middle, stacked on one wall, was an assortment of towels. There was also a small pile of dirty clothes scattered here and there as well has equipment to wash them. Aika and Fina quickly used the toilets and washed up, then headed back to the sailor's quarters.  
  
"Hope you get a good night's rest!" said Aika, climbing up to her top bunk, "I'm sure you're gonna need it, as we're probably gonna be worked pretty hard tomorrow. I have done true sailor's grunt work in ages!"  
  
"Yeah," said Fina, getting herself situated in bed. It felt weird, being somewhere else. She was so used to sleeping either on the Delphinus or in her room on Crescent Island. It was strange, all of a sudden being in a totally different place. This morning, she would have never guessed she'd be spending the night on a whole new ship as the member of that ship's crew. Come to think of it, this morning seemed like ages away. So much had happened between the time they had woken up and Vyse had dropped them off and right now. And suddenly Fina became aware of her own exhaustion, and fell asleep into a deep, dreamless sleep almost instantly.  
  
Aika, however, lie awake a good while longer, past the time when the other sailors arrived and fell asleep also, staring up at the ceiling. At about two o'clock in the morning Aika stirred. She reached for her bag at the foot of her bed and pulled out a long, bright, blue and gold bandana. Aika brought it close to her, and finally, the redhead dozed off.  
  
* * *  
  
As a the Airwave floated almost lazily from Sailor's Island, another ship, the Delphinus, sped a breakneck pace towards it. Vyse, in the control room, gritted his teeth.  
  
"I didn't know this would take so long!" he said, "We were supposed to be there hours ago!"  
  
The treasure-hunting crew had, however, returned victorious. A large gold statue of an old Nasrean Air Pirate stood in the middle of the control room, surrounded by many other treasures. Domingo, still as eager-faced as when they had found it, was hopping around madly examining every part of the statue.  
  
"Who would have known this old guy would have so many things guarding his tomb!" said Domingo, "It took forever to fight 'em all off without Aika and Fina." Domingo was now examining a very elegant crystal goblet. Next to him was Don, who was also wading through chests of gold.  
  
"How much do you think this could sell for?" asked Domingo, "I'm thinking about 5,000 gold. Maybe more. It is a rare artifact you know..."  
  
"Domingo, I don't really care about this stuff now!" said Vyse, irritated, "I told you, Aika and Fina are waiting! They're probably worried sick by now!"  
  
"Don't flatter yourself Vyse," said Domingo, "They're probably happy that your not there yet. They're probably having the time of their lives and we're gonna have to drag them aboard."  
  
"You really think so?" asked Vyse, relaxing a little.  
  
"I know so Vyse. Don't freak out so much," said Domingo.  
  
"But we all know why he's freaking out!" said Don, a mischievous grin creasing his face.  
  
"Yup," said Domingo, joining in too, "So which one is it Vyse?"  
  
"Which what?" asked Vyse.  
  
"Oh c'mon, don't act like you don't know what we're talking about!" said Don, "Aika or Fina? Which one is it?"  
  
"Or is it both?" asked Domingo, "You know Vyse, you can't be in love with both. You're gonna have to choose one sooner or later."  
  
"Guys, can we REALLY not talk about this NOW," said Vyse, exasperatedly, "I'm trying to pay attention here." Domingo and Don, however, ignored this.  
  
"I think Aika," said Domingo, "She's obviously the one he likes best, and Aika likes him too."  
  
"Nah man," said Don, "Fina definitely. Silvite girl's got the innocent thing goin' on. Aika's loud and obnoxious."  
  
"But does Fina like Vyse also is the other question," said Domingo, "You really can't tell with her."  
  
"Oh course you!" said Don, "Fina obviously likes him."  
  
"You know," said Domingo, "BOTH of them can like him. I think that's it. And if Vyse likes both of them also... he's got himself in quite a pickle, that's for sure!"  
  
"Haven't you guys heard?" a voice spoke up from the back. It was Lawrence, sitting in the Captain's chair. The helmsman had taken to sitting here recently when he was not on duty. Vyse had said it was fine, as he never sat in it, and it 'kept dust from collecting!'  
  
"Vyse," continued Lawrence, "Is currently dating that old friend of his from Pirate Isle... Luke the Raider."  
  
Vyse suddenly froze at the wheel. Lawrence, while usually silent, had also taken to speaking up from time to time. It always seemed to be the most embarrassing things too, and the most embarrassing moments. Vyse had also discovered that Lawrence was damn observant.  
  
There was a stunned silence while Lawrence's words sunk in.  
  
"Ewwwwwwwwww Vyse! You're not..." said Don, going more red than usual. Vyse too, had turned a rosy shade of pink as he quickly thought of something to say to defend himself. He turned around and starred daggers at Lawrence. The helmsman stared calmly back, the same indifferent look he always had upon his face.  
  
Damn him, thought Vyse, he must get so much pleasure out this, even though he doesn't show it!  
  
Suddenly, however, the room was filled with a booming laugh from Domingo.  
  
"Well this certainly explains a lot!" he said, "We should have known all along! Vyse was never especially good with the ladies. Yeah, I saw you up there with Aika, that night she gave you that peck on the cheek and you totally freaked."  
  
"You were watching us!" said Vyse, now turning so red that the tips of his ears were scarlet, "But we were way up by the Council Room!"  
  
Domingo taped his telescope stuffed loosely into his belt.  
  
"Hey, what's the point of being a lookout if you can't have some fun every once and awhile?" asked Domingo.  
  
"Speaking of lookout," said Vyse, "Don't you have a JOB to be doing?"  
  
"Nah, Tikatika is on duty tonight," said Domingo, "And besides, he's got way better vision than me even with my telescope. He probably saw freeze solid all the way done to your toes when Aika kissed you!"  
  
"Well, you know what they say, two pairs of eyes are better than one!" snapped Vyse. His face burned even redder from embarrassment and fury. The Blue Rogue captain turned on the other two in the room.  
  
"And you two," said Vyse, but here he faltered, "You can... you can go... uh..."  
  
Don now let out a laugh. His initial disgust had given way to amusement also.  
  
"Can't think of anything, can ya?" he said, "Guess you're stuck with me 'n old Larry!"  
  
"Yes," said Domingo, "Exactly the kind of companionship you like, no?  
  
Vyse, having no idea's on how to respond to this, gripped the wheel even tighter and let out an irritated "Argg!!" Domingo chuckled merrily to himself.  
  
"So, how long have you been dating Lukey-poo?" he asked, "Isn't he... I dunno... a little young for you?"  
  
"Cradle robber, eh Vyse?" asked Don.  
  
"He is only two years younger than me, for your information!" snapped Vyse.  
  
"Ooohhhhhhh!" shouted Domingo and Don together, and Vyse cursed, realizing how stupidly he had just fallen into THAT trap.  
  
"So you admit it, eh?" said Domingo, "You ARE dating Luke!"  
  
"DON'T YOU HAVE A JOB TO BE DOING!!" bellowed Vyse at the top of his lungs, trying to drown out the laughter.  
  
"Sure thing, Cap'n," said Domingo, and exited the room, Don following behind him.  
  
"Yeah Vyse, I'm out of here too, 'cause three pairs of eyes are better than two!" said Don. The door shut behind them, and Vyse relaxed at the wheel a little, glad for the piece and quiet, and that THAT embarrassing ordeal was over. Now all that remained was Lawrence, who seemed very content in keeping quiet.  
  
It took a few seconds for the stupidity of his action to sink in.  
  
"Oh no!" shouted Vyse when he at last suddenly realized what he had done, "With those two loose, the fact that me'n Luke are dating will spread through the Delphinus like wildfire!" Panicking, Vyse left his post at the wheel, and ran out the control to catch Domingo and Don before too much damage could be done.  
  
The Delphinus swayed dangerously, but luckily for Vyse, Lawrence was still in the room, and the adept helmsman ran to the wheel and quickly tilted the Delphinus back on course.  
  
"Idiots," he muttered to himself.  
  
The Delphinus soon reached the docks of Sailor's Island, and Vyse exited his ship, dragging Domingo, Don, and Lawrence along with him. Vyse knew Lawrence wouldn't say anything; after all, he had been keeping the fact of Vyse and Luke seeing each other a secret for who knows how long now. Vyse wasn't exactly sure how the solitary helmsman had found out, and he didn't especially want to know.  
  
Domingo and Don were complaining loudly, asking why they couldn't stay on board and inspect the treasure some more.  
  
"Now, we have to find Aika and Fina," said Vyse, ignoring their complaints, "I don't see them anywhere around here, so how about we head off to the spa place?  
  
"Whatever YOU want to do, Cap'n," said Don, and Vyse, holding Domingo in one hand and Don in the other, dragged them off down the street. Lawrence followed dutifully behind them.  
  
They were greeted by Katrina and Celyna, who were just closing up for the night.  
  
"Hello," said Katrina, "How my I help you gentleman?" Her eyes flickered over the strange scene before her.  
  
"Err, yes," said Vyse, "I was wondering if Aika and Fina are still here. We dropped them off earlier today and now we're back to get them. Problem is, we can't find them anywhere."  
  
"Ah, you must be Vyse," said Katrina, and the Blue Rogue nodded, "Aika and Fina did stop by here earlier today. Lovely girls... anyways, they left quite a few hours ago. I assumed you would have picked them up."  
  
"Well, yes, we are running slightly... late," said Vyse, "Anyways, thank you for your help... we'd best be going now... gotta look for those girls."  
  
"Pleasure meeting you and your... crew, Vyse," said Katrina, "And good luck finding them!"  
  
An hour later, however, Vyse nor Domingo, Don, or Lawrence had found any sign of the girls. Only a clerk at the clothing store and the weapons shop had mentioned them.  
  
"Yes, those girls came in here a couple hours back," said clothing clerk.  
  
Vyse assumed Aika and Fina had just gone on a shopping spree while they were waiting for him, but the fact that they had been to the weapons shop and bought cutlasses confused him. Vyse was almost absolutely sure it HAD to be to other girls in the weapons shop. Aika and Fina didn't use cutlasses after all.  
  
Eyes itching from tiredness, as it was getting very late and Vyse had had a long day, the young Blue Rogue entered the Sailor's Guild, figuring that while he was here he might as well cash in his information on the Nasrean Air Pirate's tomb.  
  
"By the way," said Vyse as he collected his rather hefty sack of gold, "Did you by any chance see two girls, one with orange hair and the other with blonde hair, come in here today?"  
  
"As a matter a fact I did," said the Guild clerk, "Yes, only a little while ago two girls walked in here... yes, one of them did have long orange hair and the other shorter blonde hair. Oh, and they were carrying rather large cutlasses, I remember that, looked like two pretty tough girls. They asked if there were any ads for sailors needed. I told them that there was one ship who was planning to set sale this evening and was looking for new crewmembers. And then Vice Captain Arvelon came in and hired them. Left just about an hour and a half ago."  
  
That had to have been Aika and Fina, thought Vyse to himself. Everything about the new clothing and cutlasses fitted together nicely, except for one part of this story.  
  
"Why would they run off and do a thing like that?" asked Vyse to himself out loud, "Why would they want to join another crew?"  
  
"Maybe they were getting tired of sailing around with Vyse the Legend," chuckled the Guild clerk.  
  
"Tell me, which ship did they go off with?" asked Vyse.  
  
"Why, I believe it was the Airwave," said the clerk.  
  
"Thanks..." said Vyse, and he left the counter, his face all of a sudden turning quite pale.  
  
"What is it Vyse?" asked Don.  
  
"Yeah, what's wrong? Who's the captain of that ship?" asked Domingo.  
  
"I heard about this a few months back," said Vyse, "He's... back... he said wanted to become an Air Pirate, so now he is... he's the Captain of the Airwave... oh my I hope Aika knows!"  
  
"Hope Aika knows what?" asked Domingo.  
  
"Yeah Vyse, quit speaking in riddles," said Don.  
  
"The Captain of the Airwave is... Vigoro!"  
  
* * * * *  
  
*Gasp* Yes folks, old Vigoro's back!! Kinda disturbing how he has Aika decorations on his ship... o_O Anyways, you'll get to see what old Viggy is like next chapter.  
  
And... sorry about the end part and branching away from the Aika and Fina storyline... this last part was written for my own amusement, because as we all know, Vyse is gay. LoL. And I've always liked Luke the Raider. He's like a... very very very obscure character. And he and Vyse would look very cute together! Yay for VysexLuke!! I seem to like very obscure and weird pairings in SoA... now if only there were more Skies shounen-ai...  
  
So... thanks for the comments people!! Let's spread the AikaxFina luuuuvvv... and a special thanks to Muse02 for wanting to link to my fic on her SoA website!! 


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